HACKENSACK, N.J. - Future FDU Hall of Famer Mike LoPresti, the only head coach in women's bowling program history, will step away from the Knights at the end of July after 21 seasons leading the Burgundy and Blue.

"For more than 20 years, Mike LoPresti has served the FDU community greatly by creating a championship culture on the lanes and in the classroom," said Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut. "As the only head coach this program has ever known, Mike set the standard for our nationally-prominent program, delivering two national championships, multiple 'Final Four' appearances and thousands of other thrilling victories for the Knights. Hailing from our area, Mike leaves FDU as unquestionably the most successful and highly decorated coach in not only FDU history, but of the NEC as well!"

The winningest coach in NCAA women's bowling history, the Hackensack, N.J. native LoPresti accumulated 1,674 wins at FDU since establishing the program in time for the 2002-03 campaign, prior to the sport becoming sanctioned by the NCAA. During his time, FDU has been a mainstay in the national Top 25 polls, currently sitting No. 15 in the nation after 2022-23. 

"Being the head coach of the FDU bowling program was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience," said LoPresti. "It was an opportunity to create and build a national level program that was highly competitive and successful, something that every motivated coach dreams of doing. It gave me the opportunity to teach, train, and coach so many outstanding people, who achieved remarkable accolades. I was able to meet families, who trusted me, were always present and supportive. It also gave me a chance to be a leader of a new NCAA sport and help guide the development of what I consider it to be the best kept secret of all NCAA sports. For all of this, I am truly grateful. 

LoPresti continued, "After a year where I experienced a couple of serious family crises, it became clear to me that all these years of sacrificing family and compromising my career job, it was time to go in a different direction. It has been an honor and a privilege to coach this program for over two decades, and the relationships and the achievements gained will always be a cherished and be a significant part of my life."

Over his 21 seasons on the banks of the Hackensack, FDU has won two national championships, first in 2006 after FDU defeated Alabama A&M, 4-1, in just the third-ever NCAA final. The second national crown came four years later in 2010 as LoPresti guided the Knights to a 4-3 victory over Nebraska.

In the classroom, nearly every women's bowling student-athlete from the program's inception graduated with an FDU degree and the program has amassed more than 25 Academic All-America honorees. The program consistently ranks among the top NCAA women's bowling teams according to the NTCA All-Academic Team Award rankings; FDU finished among the top 35 by grade point average in 2022-23.

The three-time National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Coach of the Year was the first NCAA women's bowling coach to reach 1,000 victories and the first to 1,500, a mark he set in 2021.

With LoPresti leading the charge, Knights Hall of Famer Danielle McEwan holds the distinction of being the only two-time NTCA National Bowler of the Year in program history as McEwan earned the only two nods FDU bowlers have collected, winning in 2012 and 2013. McEwan joined former assistant coach Lisa (Friscioni) Meadows as the only two Knights to be named NCAA Championship Most Valuable Players. Also on the national stage, Melanie Hannon holds the distinction of being the only Knights bowler to earn the National Rookie of the Year honor.

10 student-athletes have earned NTCA First Team All-America recognition with LoPresti at the helm.

Under his tutelage, three perfect games (300) have been bowled while FDU has powered to 14 NCAA tournaments, resulting in nine semifinal appearances with the last coming in 2022.

In the NEC, FDU holds a record five NEC tournament titles while also winning seven regular season crowns, a league record. Reaching eight NEC tournament finals, LoPresti's teams have produced six individuals combining for nine NEC Bowlers of the Year - including most recently Cameron Spring (2023), five NEC Rookies of the Year and 32 First Team All-NEC selections, while LoPresti himself earned seven league Coach of the Year plaudits, three of them in the NEC era.

Holding a winning percentage of 72.8 percent, LoPresti is one of the founders of NCAA women's bowling, previously serving as NTCA president from 2005-09 and on the NCAA women's bowling committee.

LoPresti's successor will be announced in the near future.

About FDU Athletics
The Knights are home to 21 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the Northeast Conference, FDU has had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition and giving back to the Bergen County community. Since 2019, the Burgundy and Blue have captured 16 Northeast Conference championships. In 2020, FDU student-athletes were also recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award with over 3,000 community service hours. Other recent milestones include men's basketball winning three NCAA tournament games since 2019. In addition to recent championships, FDU also holds two NCAA National Championships in the sport of women's bowling (2006, 2010).

Connect with FDU women's bowling on Twitter and Instagram, @FDUKnightsBowl.